NY Mets: Harrison Bader Signing a Huge Plus for the Outfield

The 2024 New York Mets just got a huge upside when the team inked defensive standout Center Fielder Harrison Bader to a one year, 9.5 million dollar deal atop a one million dollar signing bonus this offseason. Here’s why the signing is so beneficial to the current team.

Bader, 29, is a former St Louis Cardinal and former New York Yankee both while being New York born and raised, Bronxville, NY.

In 2023, Bader hit 7 home runs and 40 RBIs with a .232 batting average and a .274 OPS.

In St Louis, Bader stood out from the rest, especially with highlight plays in CF while showing off offensively in 2021, his best year with 16 home runs, 50 RBIs, batting .267 with a .324 OBP.

While Bader isn’t necessarily known for his bat more so his well above average defense, he can be a good fixture in the ever evolving Mets outfield that features DJ Stewart, Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte.

While Marte, 35, has battled his fair share of injuries and simply disappointed in 2023, it is evident that Nimmo needs to start in CF. Therefore Bader needs a spot. Nimmo, 30, hit 24 home runs and 68 RBIs, batting .274 with a .363 OBP with a solid 3.9 WAR.

Marte on the other hand, hit 5 home runs, 28 RBIs with a .248 batting average and a .301 OBP. He has a -0.8 WAR.

Moving Bader to RF, DJ Stewart in LF, and Nimmo in CF makes logical sense to me.

To sum it up, Bader provides quality Outfield depth and the team got a solid defensive outfielder as it was a hole they desperately needed to fill. It’s a win win for both parties indefinitely.